Where there's a Will, there's a way

I've had a few people disagree with me pretty strongly over some of the positive things I've written about high speed rail. Far more people have let me know that they disagree with 10th street corridor consolidation, which shatters the illusion that Springfield is "united" on the issue. The city's political and business establishment who you're likely to see at a Chamber of Commerce function are united. The public is not.

What bothers me is how over the top the criticism of high speed rail became as people advocated for 10th street consolidation. For example, one consolidation advocate wrote: "Our two main industries for future growth are tourism and health care, and both would be decimated by the current proposal."

This is ridiculous. High speed passenger rail will bring more tourist traffic to Springfield. In fact, the 3rd street corridor is closer to most downtown tourist destinations and retail businesses that will benefit from additional foot traffic. It's a much more pedestrian friendly location than the proposed 10th street multimodal facility, next to the rehab centers and homeless shelters. There are problems with the overpasses proposed by Union Pacific but Springfield has the right to present its own mitigation plan at any time.

It's still possible that the 3rd street corridor will be Springfield's only option if we want high speed passenger trains. What I've tried to do with my blog is bring some perspective to the debate and point out that there are benefits to high speed rail, no matter which corridor it's located on. The local press is starting to do a better job of bringing more balance to the issue, at least in small ways.

The State Journal-Register published an article about more Springfield area residents using buses and trains over the last several years. That's pretty impressive considering how limited our public transit options are.

The only disappointing part is the somewhat dismissive tone the regional planning director takes toward the trend, which is happening all over the nation. People with cars will use good public transportation if they're given the option and that trend is only going to increase over the next decade. Local leaders need to adjust to the reality that people no longer want cities designed exclusively for auto traffic.

A Chicago Sun-Times story covers a report that shows living near good public transportation reduces the chance of home foreclosure. This should be of special interest to Springfield's Enos Park neighborhood, which is closer to the 3rd street corridor, and is going through a revitalization effort.

Researchers looked at mortgage defaults in three cities and found something curious -- the chance of foreclosure is higher in neighborhoods more dependent on cars, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which included data from Chicago's Center for Neighborhood Technology. The report examined 40,000 mortgages in Chicago, Jacksonville and San Francisco.

Imagine living in Springfield, working a wage job, and having your car break down. Of course, you don't have the money for repairs right away. Maybe the bus routes don't go to your job, or they don't stop there for the night shift. Maybe you miss the bus once or twice and your ride doesn't show. Then you get fired for being late and missing shifts. Then you can't find a new job in walking or biking distance. Then you start falling behind on mortgage payments.

That's the real world for a lot of people. Good public transportation makes a big difference.

The coal industry loves to talk about China building new coal plants, but you don't often hear that they're ahead of us on high speed rail. A story I spotted today claims that China plans to have 42 high-speed rail routes online by 2012. Two new lines have had massive ridership since opening and are reducing congestion on roads. One new line, has had 2.32 million people ride since it opened two months ago on Dec. 26, 2009.

Finally, I'll copy a recent letter to the editor. Sorry for not linking to it but it's difficult when the SJ-R forces me to also link to their out-of-control comment section.

High-speed rail could jump-start local economy

I disagree with the idea that the high-speed rail plan won’t help Illinois, as a letter writer wrote recently. Thousands of people will go to work on engineering, upgrading existing track and building new infrastructure along the line.

I think more tourists would come to Springfield if taking high-speed rail was an option. That’s great news for the Abraham Lincoln Museum, historic sites and the state fair. Plus, the more people there are who take the train, the fewer people there are causing congestion on our highways.

The writer argues that people in Washington aren’t in touch with what we need at the local level. That may be the case on some issues, but not on this one.

What we need is jobs to jump-start our economy, plain and simple. High-speed rail promises to create plenty of jobs right here in Springfield very quickly. That strikes me as cause to celebrate, not reason to complain.

Allan Lauher
President
Central Illinois Building
and Construction Trades Council